Posted by: Joan Marsh on March 23, 2012 at 11:25 am
Rick Kaplan, the FCC’s Wireless Bureau Chief, could not have been more correct when he declared his mission at this week’s open meeting to be “no MHz left behind.” Given the scarcity of available spectrum – and the challenges the FCC is facing trying to free up new spectrum for mobile Internet use – ensuring that all licensed spectrum is fully and efficiently deployable is essential.
At this week’s Open Meeting, the FCC opened a proceeding to explore solutions for interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band. Some have and will continue to focus on only the narrow question of the use of two band classes in the lower band and whether the FCC should require the use of a single band class. These entities would like the FCC to simply ignore the significant interference challenges that led the 3GPP standards-setting body to create two band classes in the first place.
But, contrary to what some carriers claim, it is not the existence of two band classes that is preventing lower A-block deployment. Band Class 12 chipsets are available. US Cellular has announced the rollout of its 4G LTE network in the lower 700 MHz band and its first two LTE devices – a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and tablet. And they promise that more devices will be rolled out this year. C-Spire is also expected to proceed this year with its A-block LTE deployment.
Read More 
Posted by: Bob Quinn on March 21, 2012 at 11:57 am
We are encouraged by the Commission’s action today to facilitate mobile internet use in the 2 GHz band. The events of the last two years have made clear that the challenges associated with finding additional spectrum for commercial use are significant. Yet there is no goal more important to the millions of customers who depend on the mobile internet.
Without additional spectrum in the hands of internet infrastructure companies, consumers will not be able to realize all the mobile internet has to offer. It is therefore imperative that the Commission expeditiously work to free up additional spectrum and unlock the value in bands that are currently under-utilized because of interference or service rule limitations
Read More
Posted by: Joan Marsh on March 21, 2012 at 11:57 am
Today, the Commission opened a proceeding to examine the interference challenges that have prevented both deployment and interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band. These challenges are well-documented and real. The high power broadcasts that are permitted in channel 51 and in the lower E-block create the potential for significant technical and deployment impediments in the neighboring lower 700 MHz blocks.
Some have argued that the technical and physical limitations of the band should simply be ignored, and have called for sweeping interoperability mandates. Such mandates would be an unprecedented regulatory intrusion into a carrier’s right to manage network and device deployment in a manner best suited to serve its customers. Such mandates would defy the consensus-driven 3GPP standards process that has standardized the band in a manner meant to address the real interference challenges present there. And such mandates would do nothing to resolve the very serious limitations that act as a prohibition on lower A-block deployment in over 30 markets nationwide.
AT&T welcomes this proceeding to the extent that it offers an opportunity to find real solutions to the real interference and deployment challenges in the band. Only real solutions will support robust deployment of LTE services in the A-block and only real solutions will lead to true interoperability throughout the lower 700 MHz band. The industry deserves and, quite frankly, should accept nothing less.
Read More
